CARLSBAD — Families had a blast learning about water and conservation at the fifth annual World Water Day Festival at Carlsbad’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon’s Discovery Center on March 26.
The Discovery Center, located at 1580 Cannon Road, was buzzing with activity as children took part in water-inspired crafts, interactive science displays and nature walks near the lagoon.
“We’re reaching out to the community to bring awareness to the fact that you can enjoy and protect water sources by not polluting,” Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Executive Director Lisa Rodman said. “We want to educate the future stewards of our lagoons.”
San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn and Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall provided opening remarks at the event, which also featured storytelling and a mobile science lab.
“We wanted to make all of the activities here related to water in some way to highlight different things, like the animals that live in water and water pollution,” Rodman said.
Sea Life Aquarium invited attendees to build an “underwater habitat” craft, the Splash Science Mobile Lab brought its mobile interactive exhibits that highlighted how pollutants get into water supplies and Kahoots Pet Store provided a meet and greet opportunity with critters.
Discovery Center staff helped craft delicate sea glass necklaces, while other volunteers assisted visitors with paper jellyfish crafts and painted faces with aquatic creatures.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon tenants Hubbs-Seaworld Fish Hatchery and Carlsbad Aquafarm were also on hand to inform attendees about what they do in the community.
“This event is great — it really encourages children to experience the science that occurs in their every day lives,” Encinitas resident Jess Ross said. She brought daughter Kirra, 8, to the event. “It’s very eye-opening to see what happens to water if we’re not careful.”
The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation has hosted its World Water Day festival since 2007, coinciding with the annual World Water Day celebrated around the globe.
A World Water Day walk was held in San Diego on March 22 and Saturday’s event was a chance for local residents to learn even more about water conservation and how to help locally, Rodman said.
“This is our part of the effort to go into communities and talk about water,” Rodman said.
This year’s World Water Day Festival was presented through the foundation’s partnerships with Sempra Energy, the Leucadia Water District, PurdyHomes.com, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
For more information about the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation and upcoming events at the Discovery Center, including an Earth Day exhibit contest on April 23, visit aguahedionda.org.
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